Fun in the Sun, What Could be Better?
by Juniper Night
Summary: When all of the Titans get together at the beginning of the summer, hilarity ensues. A series of largely unrelated one-shots.
1. You are my Sunshine

**A/N -YES! School is OUT! Sorta. Only have one giant quiz, two ten-minute speeches (one memorized, one extemporaneous), one graphic design, two binders, a board, a power point, a bowl, and five book-report-chart-things to complete before I'm done with all my homework :P Oh well.**

It was one of those days, when a myriad of semi-familiar people were visiting your house and some genius decided that everyone should partake in some group activity. Joy.

Unsurprisingly, it was Aqualad who suggested they all go outside and have a beach party at the base of the tower. Cyborg quickly agreed, already asking how many people wanted hamburgers and how many others wanted hot dogs. Before long, everyone else was rushing towards their respective rooms to change into their bathing suits – everyone but Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire that is, who were all staring at Raven with crossed arms and stern expressions.

Ten minutes later had found Raven sitting in the shadow of Titans Tower in a slightly modified version of her leotard. She had been bribed, blackmailed, condescendingly encouraged, and tortured into coming down here by her fellow titans – and none of it had been necessary. Raven actually liked swimming and water, when she wasn't about to be crushed by its pressure miles beneath the ocean surface anyways. Raven hadn't told them that though, lest Starfire and Beast Boy use the same tactics to try and force her into a bikini; one because it was fashionable, and the other because it'd be 'funny.'

At that moment though, Raven was broken out of her reverie.

"Hey, Raven! What're you doin' up there? Come down by the water!" Jinx called from where she was sitting with Argent. It had been a bit of a shock when Jinx had first decided to become a good guy, but the law enforcers had decided that Jinx could remain free as long as she didn't do any more illegal activities and took up the mantle of being a super hero as a form of community service. As a result, she, Raven, and Argent had become good friends, so Raven obliged by rising from her perch on a rock, and walking all the way to the end of the towers shadow, before resettling herself on a new boulder.

Argent frowned. "You're not afraid of the water, are you?"

Raven shook her head, shifting slightly so that she was farther back in the shade.

"Are you afraid of getting sunburned?" Jinx asked

"I don't burn."

"Really? You are _so_ lucky," Argent complained, as she herself applied liberal amounts of sunscreen to her arms.

"Do you not like tanning?" Jinx persisted.

"I don't tan either" Raven said. Was it Jinx's imagination, or was she smiling?

"Freckle?" She tried again

"Not even close." Yep, Raven was definitely smiling.

Before Jinx could try again, Raven got up, levitated a few yards out, and dove into the ocean.

Argent and Jinx just looked at each other and shrugged.

)o(

"Alright team. We know that Professor Chang is somewhere in the warehouse, so I want Cyborg, Kid Flash, Gnaark, Kole, and Jinx to come inside with me to put a stop to whatever he's planning. Starfire, Beast Boy, and Bumble Bee, I need you guys, to take to the air, and Aqualad, Jericho, Speedy, and Raven, you need to cover the alleyways to the docks. Everyone else fan out and cover the perimeter; we don't want anyone getting away. Remember, Chang has dozens of henchmen on patrol, and we don't know who his 'clients' are this time. We need to be on full alert, and as covert as possib-" Robin stopped midsentence as he turned around and belatedly noticed what all the other Titans had been staring at for the last three minutes.

"I'll be honest; stealth isn't really my strong point right about now," Raven said dryly, examining with seeming indifference her _glowing_ hand.

Robin stared, finally realizing that his friend's skin bore a peculiar resemblance to the moon. They could actually see Raven's face, even with her hood up. "Wha…how, why-?" Robin stumbled.

Raven shrugged, tucking the luminescent appendage back within her cloak. "Since coming to Earth, I've found myself occasionally absorbing and re-emitting spectrums that contain ultraviolet rays… Are you guys okay? Robin, your mouth is hanging open," Raven noted, tilting her head slightly.

Robin was jolted back into awareness when a synthesized voice from above said "Well, if it isn't Hair Gel Kid and Compan- whoa, what happened to you, Sunshine? Too much pixie dust?" Raven growled, and sent three crates hurtling towards him. But Red X just teleported away, and reappeared a few meters away. "Nice try Kiddo, but no. Catch you later," he laughed, and vanished again. A few seconds later, klaxon alarms could be heard throughout the block.

Robin face palmed, and sighed before saying in a resigned tone, "So much for stealth. Titans, go."

**)o(**

**A/N – See? Raven wasn't kidding when she said she'd never sparkle in the sunlight; she'll glow after being in it :) For those of you who haven't read '**_**I'm not a Vampire!' **_**you can find out what the bloody limbo I'm blethering about in the first chapter. In the meantime, Review!**


	2. Tongue Twister

**A/N - I almost wrote that Teether was playing, too. Oops :)**

"Right foot red," Harold announced, upon which Pantha translated '_pie derecha rojo_.'

All the Titans watched with baited breath as Melvin and Timmy both craned their necks, mentally charting the safest route to the red. The twin speedsters, Mas and Menos, barely glanced before quickly claiming whatever red dot was closest. When all four had finished moving, Gnarrk carefully flicked the spinner with one callused finger. The arrow spun around, slowly shifting from an indistinguishable black blur to a rotating rod of plastic, before finally coming to rest in the third quadrant.

"Left hand blue."

"_Mano izquierda azul."_

Once again, Mas and Menos both hastily placed their hands on the nearest spot, while Timmy and Melvin both lifted their left hands, paused a moment to regain their balance, and then untangled and re-twisted themselves. Both Melvin and Timmy looked almost relaxed, despite their unusual positions. Menos however was shaking. For him to be able to reach the blue circle, he'd had to reach over Mas's ankle, than weave under Melvin's knee, and now his wrist was almost unnaturally twisted. With one final tremble, his arm gave out, and he collapsed on top of Mas so that they both fell.

A grinning Cyborg helped raise both boys to their feet.

"Good job," he said, fist bumping with them. Echoes of Cyborg's sentiments passed through the crowd – and with all of the Honorary Titans, Titans East, and the original five, it was indeed a crowd –before Gnarrk lifted his finger to the spinner again.

Before plastic and skin could make contact though, Raven intervened. "Uh-uh. It's _way_ past your bedtime," she declared, lifting a sleeping Teether onto her hip. "C'mon, teeth, now," she said authoritatively, walking through the automatic doors towards the room the three kids and Bobby were staying in. Timmy and Melvin obediently folded the mat, and placed it and the spinner back inside its cardboard box. Turning towards Mas y Menos, who seemed to be bickering about whether or not Mas falling was Menos's fault, Melvin said "Good game." Timmy, who was now sucking on his blanket, just nodded, before both he and Melvin bowed to the twins. Both then practically skipped towards the bathroom to brush their teeth.

The older Titans couldn't help but stare at them for a moment. Had they behaved like that the last time they came over?

"It must be something the monks have been teaching them," Robin finally said.

"Monks?" Argent asked

"Yeah, they've been staying at a monastery when they're not here," Robin supplied.

"Is that a good idea, letting _monks_ raise them?" Speedy asked.

"Why would it not be?" asked Starfire.

"Well… if they grow up to become super heroes-"

"They're not obliged to become superheroes," Jinx pointed out. "They could become anything they want; monks, superheroes, even civilians."

"Yes, but if they _do_ become heroes, I'm worried they'll have qualms about fighting, even if the villains fight back," Speedy said, undeterred by Jinx's logic.

"You're confusing monks with pacifists," said Raven, rolling her eyes as she re-entered the ops room.

"What's the difference?" Pantha asked.

"I haven't read much about this, so correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't monks invent Kung Fu?"

Silence was her only reply.

Raven sighed. "Monks are people who devote their lives to a religion or belief. They have laws and codes that require them to live simplistic lives and help others, and generally do a lot of meditation about how they can better themselves as people. Pacifists are people who believe violence is never the answer, and would rather be beat up, instead of fighting back," she said, giving a brief and – in her opinion – entirely inadequate explanation.

More silence.

"I still don't think that's a good idea," Speedy finally said. "What if the monk's religion –"

Raven suddenly rounded on him, eyes narrowed and arms akimbo. "I was raised by pacifistic monks, and I'm half _demon_. Do I look like some sort of religious nut to you?"

Speedy gulped. "Umm… no."

Raven picked up her book, a thick tome that had looked out of place on the kitchen counter, and said

"Good answer."

When Raven had teleported away, and was safely outside of the ops room, Speedy breathed a sigh of relief. He really hoped the kids weren't at the same monastery Raven had gone to – someone had to have taught her that killer glare.

**)o(**

**A/N - please review. I need to know whether or not this chapter was worth publishing.**


	3. Jinxed

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans es no mio. Meh :P **

**)o( **_Two years, five months ago_ **)o(**

_Jinx opened the next door in the hallway disinterestedly, doubtful that there would be anything more intriguing in this room than in the rooms she had explored thus far: a nondescript office with a few newspaper clippings about the Titans; a room filled with mechanical objects and computers; an immaculate bedroom that at first glance looked like a guestroom; and a smelly, green-tinged room with a bunk bed that Jinx refused to step foot in._

_Which Titan this… _chamber _belonged to was obvious without checking the name plate. Ms. Gloom and Doom - What was her name? Raven? _

_The entire place was shrouded in shadows, and everything that wasn't black was blue. To her immediate left was a large triangular bookshelf, which Jinx looked over curiously. She couldn't read most of the titles, but the ones printed in English sent shivers down her spine. __Portals to Hell__, __Demons and Where to Find Them__, __Talking to the Beyond__, __Sealing the Pits of Tartarus__ – rather dark for a hero, weren't they?_

_Jinx smirked at the mirrors on the small vanity, but her attention was grabbed by a chest on the other side of the room. She opened it and… nothing. Perhaps the Titans hadn't been around long enough to merit anything trunk-worthy._

_Weaving through a few pillars, Jinx found herself in front of a large, circular bed. On a hunch, she went to the side of the bed, and knelt down to peek under the covers. Underneath the mattress was a medium sized, dusty, Spartan wooden box, which looked as if it had been hastily shoved to its currently position._

_Unlike the chest, the box was not empty, and inside was a blue violin – unexpected, but breathtaking. Pretty as it was though, she was no musician. She'd come back to it later, she decided, as she placed the violin back in its box and neatly slid it under the bed._

_Rising to her feet, Jinx moved to the closet._

_The only clothing on the hangars were cloaks on the right, and leotards on the left. Raven's combat boots stood in a neat line at the bottom of the closet. Even the black of the leotard glinted cobalt. Did she have _anything_ that wasn't blue? Something seemed off about the pair of boots on the extreme right though. Kneeling for the second time in as many minutes, Jinx stuck her hand in one of the odd boots, and didn't feel anything until she was already up to her shoulder. Jinx had read about only the most basic of magical spells, seeing as she herself couldn't cast much beyond her pink hexes, but she was fairly certain she knew an undetectable extension charm when she came across one. Inside the first boot were rough, boyish street clothes, a ballerina's costume, and a weird unitard, all of which looked about Gizmo's size. In the second boot were several school uniforms similar to the ones she herself had worn at Darkway Prep – gray skirts, white collared shirt, and a blue and silver striped tie. '__**Ha, Raven the schoolgirl, now there's a funny thought'**__. Jinx had to smirk at the rest of the uniform too, as she'd choose Darkway's black blazers over the dark gray sweater vest and pitch colored cloak any day._

_The blue cloaks on the hangar actually did look kind of cool though, Jinx forced herself to admit. Shame they were so impractical. And so blue. To distract herself from the cloak that had somehow wound up in her hand, she looked at the leotards. They were actually thicker than she would have thought. And… the material felt odd when she rubbed it, not quite like any fabric she'd heard of – hang on a sec, was it __**moving?**_

_Jinx leaped backwards as a clawed, blue-black hand emerged from the leotard and swiped at her, before half-running, half-stumbling out of the room, cloak still in hand._

_Never. Going. In there. Again. _

)o(

"So let's see. Pantha called the couch, because she snores. We have one more guest room, but only one more bed, so only two girls can sleep there. Star said she could share with one person….That leaves one more girl. Raven, I'm sorry, but you're going to _have_ to room with someone." Robin said, looking up from his clipboard.

Raven nodded, her face as impossibly blank as ever. "That's alright. Jinx can be by roommate. Nothing was set off the last time she went into my room."

Jinx paled. _Uh-oh._

**)o(**

**A/N – I'm BAAACK! Either fate's punishing Jinx for being a criminal one final time, or Raven's quietly getting back at her for going into her room in the first place :) Either way, hoped y'all like! Some people may (or may not. Probably not) have noticed the reference to **_**Classic.**_** There was also a very specific school in my mind when I was describing the uniform; first person to guess the school gets a chapter written about an idea of theirs! **

…

**Alright lame prize, but I'm out of virtual cookies, okay? I do have a few more chapter ideas, but I'll consider anything you guys throw at me.**

Next Chapter Pseudo-Preview:

Way to subvert the trope.

Does saying _**REVIEW!**_ do much when the review button is now its own box?


	4. I've Got Your Back

**A/N: Remember chapter one? Yeah, same setting. Beware of mush. And if you don't like Robstar (Personally I'm not really for or against it) just insert your OTP in your head. All it takes is a little imagination, so unleash it! ;D**

Robin smiled as he heard Starfire laugh somewhere behind them. He had been watching Raven with some concern – you knew something was up if she agreed that easily – but at the sound of that voice he couldn't help but turn to look. There she was, sitting on a rock in the distance, in a purple two-piece, laughing at something Kole and Bumble Bee had said. Was it just Robin, or was that ray of sunlight singling her out?

"Robin? Rooobb-innn…. ROBIN!"

"Ah!" Robin jumped and finally noticed Kid Flash.

"Bit slow, today, are we?" Kid Flash remarked casually, suddenly reappearing with a bottle of sunscreen in hand.

"Everyone seems slow to you." It was really weird watching him put on sunscreen – like watching a person on fast forward, so he turned to watch Starfire again. In a flash, Kid was there, one arm resting on Robin's shoulder.

"Ah, now I see the problem. You're embracing your inner stalker," Kid Flash stated, making a show of nodding his head slowly.

"I'm what?" Robin sputtered.

"You're embracing your inner stalker. Instead of walking up to her like a man, making your feelings known, and maybe going out on a date, here you are; watching her from a distance, lurking in the shadows." Kid Flash said in what was meant to be a sad but knowing sort of way.

"What do you mean, 'making my feelings known'? I'm her friend, Starfire knows that… And I am _not_ lurking in the shadows."

Kid Flash smiled and pointed down to his foot, which was just under the very tip of Titan's Towers shadow. Robin growled and pulled his foot back a couple inches. "I'm still not lurking, and I still don't know what you're talking about."

Kid Flash chided, "De Nile is more than just a river in Egypt."

"Yeah, and Seine is more than a river in France," Robin countered.

"Touché," Kid smiled. "Look, I'll make this easy for you. All you gotta do is take this sunscreen, walk on up to her, and offer to help her out sunscreen on her back, and - Tada! - she knows you're interested, and you come off as kind and chivalrous."

Robin raised an eyebrow – not that you could really see beneath the mask, although one eye did become bigger than the other – however he took the offered sunscreen despite his trepidation, and walked over to the group of giggling girls.

"Um, h-hey Star, I was wondering, if – you need help putting sunscreen on your back?"

Starfire giggled – was that a good sign? – and shook her head, "I thank you, Robin, but Tamaraneans gather energy from the sun. To put on sunscreen would be detrimental to my health, yes? Perhaps Kole and Bumble Bee would benefit from your assistance." Both girls shook their heads furiously, the mirth evident on their faces; while Starfire was completely naïve, they knew exactly what he was trying to accomplish.

"Well, thank you for offering!" Star called out, as he made a hasty retreat. Robin wasn't sure what emotion he felt the most: Relief; that it was over; Disappointment; that it hadn't worked; Embarrassment; that he had forgotten both about Starfire's unfamiliarity with Earth and her gaining energy from the sun, making a fool out of himself in front of Kole and Bumble Bee; Frustration; that was the last time he took advice from a speedster in electric banana swim trunks.

"Friends, what is so funny?" Beside her Bumble Bee and Kole had finally submitted themselves to their laughter, and it took them a moment to calm down.

"Honey, sometimes I think you two are a hopeless case," Bee sighed.

"What?" Starfire asked, still confused.

"Robin was trying to make a move," Kole clarified.

_Ohhh_ Starfire thought. She was familiar with that particular phrase. If she squinted, she could make out Robin and some of the other Titans playing football, despite the glare of the sun on the water. As she watched, Robin caught the ball and threw it towards Beast Boy, but he'd thrown it too hard, so that it sailed over Beast Boy's hands and accidently hit Kid Flash – who hadn't been paying attention - on the back of the head.

"Oops," Starfire said as Kid Flash went down with a splash.

**)o(**

**A/N- For those of you who don't know, 'Seine' is pronounced 'sane.' I'd say it's because of the French and their weird spelling, but the Spanish probably say the same thing about us :) **

**So, how did I do? Good? Bad? Ugly? I particularly want to know how I did on the guys, as I'm never sure I'm in character when I write from male POVs, even if my style is technically omniscient. Please **_**REVIEW! **_**(- Gotham font)**


	5. The Sound of Music

**A/N: _huh… I guess it did want to be the _**_**very**_**_ next chapter. Yo ne, whatever floats your boats, fingers_. "A request from a certain book geek:" Juniper wrote.**

The other Titans had issues, Raven decided. Why in Azar's name would they want to host _another_ overdone and so-called family (or in this case, team) bonding activity? They'd already had a beach party, a barbeque, a board game night, and now there was this. And _this_ decidedly crossed the line.

"I will not sing!" Raven hissed out in a low voice.

"C'mon, Raven – it's a team bon-" Robin tried.

"I_ can't_ sing." She insisted.

"If anyone can't sing, it's the grass stain," Cyborg said, referring to Beast Boy, who was currently singing something about traffic laws and eating things without likes or dislikes. It was a song that had really random lyrics, and the melody was not one Raven knew, but she could still tell that he was singing _way_ off key.

"Beast Boy can't sing _well_; I just can't sing… and neither can Jericho" Raven maintained. All three of them turned to look at Jericho. He looked miserable, and while that was possibly because of Beast Boy's singing, he wasn't making any move to cover his ears. His hands just hung limply off the sides of his guitar.

Robin frowned, finally seeing something was wrong. "I see what you mean about Jericho, but he's mute. Why can't _you_ sing?"

Raven shifted, obviously uncomfortable with the answer to that question. Nevertheless, she checked to make sure no one was listening before lowering her voice an additional few decibels. "You remember what it was like when Trigon took over? Remember the place where you found me, Robin? Well Trigon's actual domain, Limbo, is worse. It's a few hundred degrees hotter, and the miasma's –"

"What's 'miasma'?" Cyborg asked.

"It's the stuff in the air. Mostly it's just smoke, cinders, and ashes, but there are… gases down there, and then there are fumes that come off whatever else is burning down there," Here Raven shuddered, and Robin took the opportunity to clarify something.

"Whatever _else_ is burning?" Robin asked, a look of concern on his face.

Raven swallowed, refusing to lift her gaze from her combat boots. "Over the millennia, there has not been a son or daughter of Trigon who hasn't burned in Limbo at least once. If the miasma doesn't permanently mess up your respiratory system, then the fire will. It has a way of… climbing. Hence the monotone. Changing pitch tends to send me into a hacking fit, and then I can't talk for a while." Raven admitted.

Cyborg and Robin looked at each other. It had been neither one's idea to have karaoke night, but they still felt really bad for both Raven and Jericho. Suddenly Cyborg's eye lit up, and he turned to Raven with an idea.

"Hey, Rae, what if…"

)o(

When Raven had left, Jinx had been singing _Dance like There's No Tomorrow,_ and while she had been very good at singing, and the song had loosened some of the remaining tension between her and some of the other heroes, Raven doubted anyone here could sing better than Bumble Bee, who was standing on the raised Dias by the window, mike in hand. Her voice was melodic as her song came to an end:

"_Is you is or is you ain't my baby?_

_Maybe baby's found somebody newwww-oooh!_

_Or is my baby, still my baby true?"_

To be sure, it was not something any of the Titans listened to regularly. It was definitely a jazz song, and a very old one at that, but Bee made it work for her. While the Bumble Bee tried to get someone else to take the mike – not an easy task, especially when everyone was teasing her about who her mysterious 'baby' was – Raven walked over to Jericho.

"Hey, Jericho," Raven said, taking a seat next to him.

Jericho smiled, and moved his hand in a something like a salute – 'Hello' – but the gesture was halfhearted, and the smile forced.

"It's alright, I can't sing either." Before Jericho could gesture anything along the lines of 'Don't worry about me' or 'I'm sure you sing beautifully,' Raven shook her head and intervened. "I meant literally can't; I've been magically cursed and all that -" Raven liked Jericho, but she didn't know him enough to tell him about Limbo –"but that's alright."

Normally Jericho was a very kind, compassionate person who would never find pleasure in another's misfortune. But Raven was smiling – which was a very rare and beautiful thing – so Jericho found himself smiling back.

"You up for a performance?" She asked. For the first time, Jericho noticed the blue violin she carried. In answer to her question, he stood up, readying his fingers on the guitar.

Near the center of the room, Bumble Bee was still trying to find someone to pass the mike to. She had just shoved into Speedy's protesting hands when Raven's voice somehow penetrated the din.

"Are we accepting duets?" Nearly everyone turned their heads in surprise. _Raven was going to sing? And with a partner? _When Raven lifted her violin, more than a few eyebrows were lifted, but no comments were made. It was Jericho's guitar that made the first sound. Nothing fancy, just a rhythmic strumming. Raven entered next, her violin letting out a clear 'hm-mm, hmmmmmm… hm-mm, hmmmmm.' Around them, a few Titans smiled in recognition, but the majority of them did not realize what they were listening to until the first verse. It did not matter that the violin sang without words – every Titan present heard the familiar lyrics in their head.

'_Well you done done me, and you bet I felt it. _

_I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted,_

_I fell right through the cracks –_

_And I'm trying to get back'_

They switched parts then, and Raven pizzicatoed the harmony, while Jericho took over the melody.

'_Before the cool done run out,I'll be giving it my bestest,_

_And nothing's gonna stop me but devine intervention._

_I reckon it's again my turn_

_To win some, or learn some…'_

They both played the chorus, the combination of acoustic guitar and violin somewhat strange, but still nice.

'_I won't hes-i-tate_

_No more, no more_

_It cannot wait –_

_I'm yooouuurrs'_

The moment her violin left shoulder position, Raven felt extremely awkward, standing there in front of her peers. But Jericho was happy, so mission accomplished. As the first round of applause started, Jericho grinned and shot his fist into the air.

"Encore!" someone shouted. Soon it was a chant, "Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore!"

Raven's eyes widened, and the faint traces of a blush stained her cheeks. Jericho looked at her, his smile reassuring and his eyes akin to that of a small hopeful child. Raven sighed.

"One more song couldn't hurt."

**A/N: Confession time! I loathe fanfics about 'karaoke' and 'open mike' with the only exception being chapter four of **_**Squares.**_** Everything else I've read with those themes seem to exist for the sole purpose of A) Getting Character 1 to overcome his/her shyness and admit their undying love to Character 2 without any original wording on Character 1/ the author's part; B) option A with multiple pairings; C) create some sort of Teen Titans playlist with very little plot. **

**Admittedly, I have not read every fanfic about that subject, so I am not saying that they are all bad, just that I haven't seen a good one yet. However, when I got this request from book geek29812, I started thinking (a very dangerous past time) and this was the product. **

**Tell me if you like it please! Or if you though it was no better than the scenarios I described above. I **_**know**_** that this story has had 590 views, but only 11 people have given me feedback through review, alert, or favorites (do not be fooled by the 11, 7, and 4; tis the same kind souls repeated.) So I am left to assume that the rest of you not only hate it, but do not care enough to help me improve :(**

**All it takes is one word (awesome, terrible, cute, delete-it), or one click of a button (follow, favorite), to make someone's day… **

**And now Put a Little Love in Your Heart is stuck in my head :P BTW, that song Bumble Bee was singing, 'Is you is or is you ain't my Baby' is very famous, and I recommend you look up either the Tom and Jerry version, or the one sang by Trudy Simoneau :)**


	6. They're dae'ha not ha'daes

**A/N: I wasn't sure I'd get anything in before school started, so yay! Any who, by now you've probably realized I never made any promises to write this chronologically ;)**

**Disclaimer – Teen Titans watashi no nainda desu.**

**Modern, mortal, muse: SJ! **

Jinx probably spent a good eight minutes brushing her teeth that first night at Titans Tower, and she spent another five minutes brushing her hair. Due to the fact that there were too many Titans and not enough bathrooms, she re-braided her hair to perfection in the hallway.

Anything to put off having to go to sleep.

Sure, part of the reason was because after being a thief for so long, a part of her still insisted that falling asleep in a tower full of super heroes was a _really_ bad idea. However, she knew quite well that there was another reason.

)o(

Though she felt vaguely silly for doing it, Jinx still knocked on the door to her new room.

"Come in, Jinx," came the monotonous reply.

Raven was levitating by the window, a book in hand and a single candle levitating before her. She had put away her cloak, belt, and shoes, but she hadn't changed into PJs, and probably didn't intend to.

She certainly wouldn't be caught dead in a matching pink pajama set with unicorns on it, especially if it had been given to her by a speedster who had invaded her room and looked through her private sketches. But then, Jinx wasn't Raven. Maybe that was why she had such a hard time appreciating her decoration style. Raven didn't seem to think much of her style either if the raised brow was anything to go by.

"It's, um, getting kinda late," Jinx said awkwardly.

Raven glanced at a simple blue clock, which Jinx hadn't noticed before. "It is," Raven agreed.

Twelve twenty-two, the little clock read. It actually _was_ rather late, but then teenagers were not known for being early to bed or early to rise.

"Um, I guess we should get some sleep," she tried. It was a long time before Raven responded – Jinx suspected she was finishing the page – but she eventually did set the book on her nightstand.

"Right or left?" Raven asked.

"What?"

"Which side," Raven clarified, nodding towards the bed and resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"The one away from the closet," Jinx winced. She hadn't meant to say that aloud.

This time both eyebrows lifted. "You're afraid of the _boogeyman_?" she said flatly.

"No!" Jinx shifted uncomfortably. She hated bringing up the H.I.V.E. in front of the Titans – not least of all because she didn't regret becoming a criminal, even if she didn't exactly miss it either. She also didn't know if Raven realized how much Jinx had gone through her stuff…

"The last time I was here, back when I was –"

"I remember," Raven deadpanned, crossing her arms.

Jinx grew defensive.

"Your leotard attacked me!" That sounded really ridiculous – and kind of pathetic – out loud.

Raven looked at her expectantly. When Jinx said nothing more, Raven nodded once. "I see."

"It's true!" Jinx said hotly; she hated it when people acted condescendingly towards her – like Madame Rouge had.

"I know it is." The smallest of smiles was tugging on the corner of Raven's lips. "The leotards are made of _dae'ha myesh_, half-demon cloth. Th-"

"_Half-demon_ cloth?! You're joking right? What, are you gonna tell me you're some sort of demon slayer?" Jinx demanded, her arms akimbo.

Raven seemed to find this amusing, but it might have been a trick of the candle light – even if the candle was brighter than any candle had any right to be. "I said cloth, not skin. And what did you expect? Nylon and neoprene aren't exactly practical in this business. The _myesh_ acts as a final defense of sorts, but it's not sentient – it won't do anything to you if you don't touch it, and even then there are certain factors that determine when it does and doesn't… lash out," Raven explained climbing into the right side of the bed, right next to the closet of offending leotards. As soon as Jinx was under the covers as well, she levitated the candle to the nightstand, and the flame went out.

Even the darkest alley contained some light, be it from the moon, the stars, or the violet luminescence of storm clouds. That was not the case in Raven's room; it was like pitch.

"So why's it called half-demon cloth?" Jinx asked, attempting to ward off the darkness with her words. There was a long pause, and Jinx wasn't sure if she'd get a reply, but

"It contains their DNA," came the cautious response.

"Aren't they dangerous though?" Jinx asked curiously. Where exactly did one find half-demons anyway?

"Very." There was no hesitation before that response.

"So how'd you get it?"

"… Would you believe me if I told you that I'm the half-demon daughter of Trigon the Terrible?"

Jinx's eyes widened, and she sat up to face Raven - though even with her catlike pupils at maximum dilation, she couldn't really see her, not in this darkness.

"Are you for real? Shouldn't you be evil, or somethin'?"

"A lot of people seem to think that, yes," Raven sighed. "Personally, I don't believe that what you are, or what your heritage is, should be allowed to dictate your life. It's just another type of obstacle, like diseases or bad vision; they shouldn't become excuses for a person's problems. And the monks were always big on positive perspective – making weaknesses into strengths, problems into blessings, you get the idea. I think that's why I became a Titan – although, there is the distinct possibility that I'm merely controversial by nature, and being told that I was the living Armageddon since I was conceived would therefore make _not_ destroying the world the ultimate teenage rebellion – either way, the outcome was the same."

Jinx listened on in silence. Raven was, surprisingly, a kind of… hopeful, inspirational kind of person behind the monotone and the sarcasm. And she was essentially hell spawn. Jinx guiltily remembered when her powers had first developed, how she had miserably resigned herself to a life of petty thievery and living on the streets. How when someone had noticed her, and 'escorted' her to Darkway Prep, she didn't mind that they'd drugged her, or taken her to Darkway against her free will, because it was an opportunity. And so she seized it, totally ignoring the fact that these people were ruthless, and would teach her to become like them. _"I'm bad luck, good was never an option for me,"_ she had told Kid Flash, but no one had ever told _her_ that. Jinx had only herself to blame for her actions, and suddenly she found herself feeling really, _really,_ stupid.

"Why are you telling me this?" Jinx asked

"Why are you listening?" Raven shot back.

"Point taken." It sounded like their conversation was over, and suddenly Jinx remembered something that rekindled her unease.

Jinx thought she heard Raven roll over on the mattress, before her exasperated voice broke through the darkness. "What's bothering you now?"

"You're wearing one of those leotards," Jinx stated.

"Deal with it."

**A/N- I wasn't entirely sure if I was within my ratings when I used the word 'hell spawn' but a quick search revealed a lot of other people in K+ with the heck-word, so I'm fairly certain FFHQ won't have a problem with me. Plus, to use a bit of geometrical logic (ooh, math on a writer's**_** saito:**_**) All summaries and titles must be rated K; Given. Hellsing and Hell Girl are both fandoms; Given. Both aforementioned fandoms contain the ruder equivalent of heck; Reflexive Property. K+ fics allow mild coarse language; definition of K+. Heck is 'mild coarse language;' it is in multiple K+ fics and hasn't been deleted. He! Is allowed in K+ fics; definition of K+ fics. *Bows***

**On another note, (no, not literally. Why would I want two authors notes from the same author right next to each other?) the DNA she was referring to was mostly hair (she must cut it often, and she can't just throw away the clippings; the Faeries would drag her to Elseworld!) plus a squick of demonic venom (Once upon a time there was a very hungry/thirsty **_**dae'ha.**_** Human foods tasted bad to him, so he sucked on the nearest humans blood, for it smelled good. And thus the first vampire was born. So no worries there.**

_**REVIEW! (is anyone else reminded of Gotham by this combination?)**_


	7. Sick Day

**A/N - By the end of this chapter, some of you will probably be wondering: 'Did she **_**really**_** just write that?' The answer: Heck yeah :}**

**Disclaimer: a statement which renounces legal right.**

Robin whistled cheerfully as he whisked the pancake batter. It was early, and the common room was almost empty; the only sounds were his whistling, Pantha's snores from the couch, the gentle tinkling of spoon on mug and –

"Ah-CHOO!"

- Aqualad sneezing?

Raven quickly erected a shield between the flying mucus and her tea, but Robin could only guard his face with his arm.

"Bless you," Robin said, lowering his arm. He grimaced as he took in the wetness on it, suddenly regretting his decision to take off his gloves while he was baking…

"Sorry," Aqualad replied apologetically, sniffling. "Trident attacked a cruise ship. You know how they're always on the news because everyone's caught the flu, and the whole ship has to be quarantined? This was one of those ships."

Robin nodded sympathetically as he went to wash his hands. Besides him, Raven started to make a second mug of tea.

)o(

"ACHOO!"

Robin groaned, leaning back into the headboard and fumbling for a tissue.

Part of him still wished he could be out on the mission, fighting the H.I.V.E. Five. However another part of him ruefully acknowledged that he was in no condition for battle. Sighing, he reached for the mug of tea Raven had left on the nightstand. It tasted strongly of mint, but there was another flavor too - some blend of herbs meant to make him get better soon? Whatever, he trusted Raven's judgment. Speaking of Raven... she would find his behavior pathetic. He really ought not to be so mopey.

Robin took another sip of tea_. It could be worse,_ he thought. A sudden image of Beast Boy when he had last gotten the sniffles popped into his head, and he laughed slightly, remembering how Beast Boy had been unable to stop himself from sneezing, and morphing, and sneezing, and morphing. And now that he was thinking about one teammate, he couldn't help but compare him to the others.

Aqualad's sneezes were as wet as sea spray, something Robin could definitely attest to. Starfire's sneezes were explosive. He wondered if it hurt having green-hot blasts of plasma come out of your nostrils. Mucus didn't seem so bad any more.

The one and only time he had seen Cyborg sneeze, Beast Boy had come out. He didn't really want to think about that.

He'd only seen Raven with a cold once, but apparently half-demons had an accelerated immune system, which meant that when they got sick, they were totally out of it, even if it only ever lasted a day or two. Cyborg had said she was cute, and Raven had glared at him, but then she had sneezed so hard she was propelled several feet into the air – where she had been stuck for several moments. Later that same morning she had fallen asleep at the counter next to her half-finished tea. Beast Boy had asked her if she was alright, and she had murmured something that sounded suspiciously like a mixture of several foreign languages. When BB expressed his confusion, Raven had sounded briefly like herself when she snapped that she was fine, but then she had kind of slumped over and returned to her sleep amidst the giggles and snickers of the other Titans.

The memory of it made him laugh again.

_Glad to see you find my suffering so amusing_, Raven's voice was slightly muffled, but he heard her nonetheless . Lowering his mental barriers, he ignored the barb in favor of a status update.

_How'd the fight go?_

_Good. _Her mental 'voice' was much clearer now. _The H.I.V.E. Five don't really know what they're doing anymore, and the fact that Jinx was with us made it quick and easy. You didn't miss anything._

_Yeah, I know. You guys gonna be back soon? _

Raven was already closing off her end of the mental link between them, but she sent the general feeling of 'no,' and Robin tasted the faint flavor of pizza on his tongue before he was alone again.

Alone _and_ extremely bored.

With nothing better to do, Robin turned to his nightstand again and picked up a thick book of world records that Beast Boy had lent him. He flipped through the pages listlessly, until he sneezed. Robin had half uttered a curse before he had an idea…

)o(

When Raven and Cyborg came to check on Robin – being the closest things the Titans had to a doctor – they were greeted by an odd site. The Boy Wonder was sitting on his bed surrounded by seemingly random objects; some feathers, a pepper shaker, a speedometer, and a thick book open to the _S_ section of the index.

"Alright, what are you up to now?" Raven demanded.

Robin held up the book – the _Guinness Book of World Records_ – and grinned.

"I'm going to break the world record for the fastest sneeze!" He said happily.

Cyborg seemed enthusiastic about the idea. Raven face-palmed as he and Robin began plotting and scheming about how to get Robin to sneeze faster, and how to accurately record the speed.

"Is this normal hero behavior?" Jinx asked from the doorway.

Raven shook her head and walked out with her. "Only with the guys…"

)o(

**A/N – I'm honestly not sure if anyone but me will like this, but today was a Hurricane day, and I felt the need to write something. This happened to be a… what'cha ma calls-it, a 'plot bunny' (I'm not entirely sure that fits, but oh well,) and it had been attacking my daydreams in bunny-ish fashion for several months.**

**So please, do us all a favor and flame the evil bunnies plaguing my brain, that I may lecture you on Hurricane Preparation without guilt.**

**~Juniper**

**p.s. Totally not Beta'd. Just saying.**


	8. A Romantic Comedy for Three

**A/N – I'm pretty sure SOMEONE requested this, back during either the summer vacation, or the beginning of the school year (id est, when I had time and **_**a life**_**), so while this is probably a lot later than whoever it was might have expected, tada! I've finally written it…**

**Oh, Disclaimer - who do you think you are? Running 'round stealing heaaarrts, collecting your jar of "Darn"-s, at the dawn of every yarn…yeah, never mind…**

Jinx knew Kid Flash loved her - she_ knew_ it - but sometimes it irritated her to see how easy it was for him to talk with other girls in that charmingly arrogant way of his. Jinx was never sure if his actions could be considered flirting or if she was just overreacting. Kid Flash was just so much more… extraverted than she was.

Would it hurt him to act a little more romantically, she wondered? He could still be very sweet, but after that first rose, he'd hardly been able to remember their dates. When they visited Titans Tower, sometimes he'd spend the whole trip with the boys and practically ignore her.

Once, when the Titans were hanging out at the park for a summer BBQ, she'd tried to hold his hand; it'd been almost romantic, walking under the sweeping arches formed by the valley oaks. Then he 'went long' to catch a football using his super speed. He forgot that she, Jinx, was still holding his hand, and when he let go to catch the ball, her momentum carried her several feet into what was a painful and humiliating landing in a muddy puddle.

That was the final straw.

)o(

"… and then he just totally forgot I was there, and when he let go of my hand I flew into a pile of mud, in front of _everyone_."

Rant

Rant

Jinx turned to Raven to gauge her reaction and was surprised to see that Raven had actually looked up from her book, and was frowning at an indeterminable spot on the carpet.

"What? What are you going to say?" Jinx asked, plopping onto the bed beside her.

"Uh, normally I'd say 'Tough luck, go ask Argent, not me', but I think I saw a movie about this once… quit staring at me, it was Starfire's turn to pick on movie night. Anyways, I think you're supposed to, err… get someone else to act like your boyfriend? Make him jealous?"

Jinx considered it for a moment, but then she sighed, "Can't; most of the team still treats me like they expect me to become a villain again any day now, and even the Titans that do trust me wouldn't agree to pretend to be _my_ beau, not when they're all friends of KF's. That, or I would never agree to going out with them, and KF wouldn't believe it for a minute." Jinx let her head rest on her arms as she stared at the floor despondently. "Besides," she shrugged, "of all the Titans, I'd only feel comfortable asking you or Argent something like that. Shame you aren't a boy…" Jinx paused. Her head shot up, and she looked at Raven with glittering pink cat eyes.

"…You are not thinking what I think you're thinking."

)o(

When Kid Flash saw Jinx wearing civvies, waiting expectantly in the Ops room, he immediately felt bad. She was dressed rather nicely, though still casually, and she'd taken her hair out of their horns to make a single braid that swayed when she turned to look at him. She looked pretty. "We didn't have a date today, did we?" He asked anxiously.

Jinx was pleased to note that he also sounded a bit guilty, something she'd learned to detect when she attended Darkway Prep. However,_ her_ response was the epitome of nonchalance; "What? Oh, no, just me going out with a friend…"

Just then there was a _Ping!_ as the elevator doors opened, and Jinx walked away, waving merrily and resisting the urge to say 'Toodles!'

"See ya, Kid," she said instead, joining someone in the elevator, and giving him no time to respond. Kid Flash caught a glimpse of a figure clad in hoody and too-large jeans whose face was covered by a baseball cap. Then the elevator doors closed between him and his girl.

)o(

"This isn't a good idea."

"That's because it's an ingenious one!"

"Aren't relationships supposed to be based on trust, or something?"

"How many successful relationships have you been in?"

Raven briefly considered Malchior, causing the button to the thirteenth floor to _pop!_ off the panel with an obsidian spark. "…Touché," she said.

_Ping!_

)o(

Just as they were walking into the theater, Raven sensed Kid Flash's presence. "Congratulations," She monotoned. "You're being stalked by your own boyfriend."

"Told you it would work," Jinx grinned back, apparently choosing to ignore the sarcasm.

"He's going to figure this out."

"No he's not. How could he?"

"These clothes aren't enough to hide the fact that I'm female… and they're too big. Where'd you get them from?"

"Herald's suitcase."

"The hat too?"

"No, that's something that Cyborg left on the kitchen counter."

"And thaaat explains why it's so big. It keeps falling in my face…" Raven sighed and tugged her pants up as they started to fall for umpteenth time.

"You should've tried Robin's closet instead…"

"Excuse me? How would you know if Boy Blunder's clothes fit you?"

"That… is a story that I do not feel like disclosing at this point in time."*

)o(

It had taken a long time for Kid Flash to pick his jaw up off the floor, but it took no time at all for him to realize he needed to follow Jinx. With a burst of speed that would have given his mentor a run for his money, Kid Flash ran to his room, threw on some jeans and a random t-shirt, and dashed across the water to the mainland. From there, he took a circuitous route to the closest movie theater and stopped just across the street, waiting for a familiar pink head of hair to appear.

A few minutes later, Kid Flash located said pink hair, and he followed it into the theater, staying just close enough to catch the name of the movie Jinx was buying tickets for.

One ticket, a box of popcorn – to fuel both his anger and his high metabolism – a ticket-collecting bouncer, and a short trip down a dim hallway later, Kid Flash sat down in the very back row, observing from above the scene below him.

Jinx was facing towards the stranger, and seemed to be taking more interest in talking to the boy than watching the movie…

)o(

"Please, Raven?"

"No. It's bad enough that I let you drag me here."

"All you have to do is put your arm over my shoulders! Is that really so hard?"

Raven glared straight ahead and tugged Cyborg's baseball cap further down on her head. Sadly however, her peripheral vision allowed her to see the way Jinx pouted and widened her eyes, looking at Raven imploringly.

"Quit it." Raven frowned. She hated when people made doe eyes like that; they made her think of 'cutesy' things, which inevitably led to thoughts of Mother Mae-eye…

"Pleeeeeaaaase?" Jinx said, momentarily breaking Raven's train of thought and leaning farther and farther into her personal space. The Bambi-eyes were back, and worse; Raven was suddenly very aware of how very _pink_ Jinx and her magic were. Like the innards of cherry pie when it mixes with whip cream…

Maybe if she agreed Jinx would quit bugging her for the rest of whatever-the-heck-they-were-watching and she, Raven, would be left in peace long enough to reseal those horrible memories in the deepest, darkest corners of her mind... "Sometimes I swear you can be more annoying than Beast Boy," she grumbled, but she placed her arm over the ex-thief's shoulders nonetheless.

)o(

Kid Flash could not believe what he was seeing – Jinx had used _The Face, The-_friggin'_-Face _on this pit-sniffer! Who did he think he was? Jinx only ever used that face on him! Suddenly, Kid knew what it meant to 'see red,' something that had not happened to him before as he was generally an amiable guy. He was trying to think positively – it could only go up from here, right? – when the stranger put his arm around her.

)o(

Jinx had_ not_ left her in peace long enough to bury certain unpleasant pie-related memories; rather, she had pestered her constantly for status reports on Kid Flash's emotional state. When the credits finally began to roll, Raven had sprung from her seat like waffles from a toaster, only to receive bad news; Jinx had to go to the bathroom.

And so it came to pass that Raven stood alone in the lobby, regretting that she had ever let Jinx purchase that large coke, since now she had to wait for her. The sooner she could leave, the better; Raven knew it was only a matter of time before…

"Hey – you!" Kid Flash said just a _little_ loudly.

)o(

"I'm talking to you," Kid Flash growled at the unmoving figure. "Didn't your mother ever teach you to look at who's talking to you?" Frustrated by the lack of response, he tried to grab the punk – only for whoever it was to flip Kid Flash over his shoulder.

"No, actually, she didn't," a familiar voice drawled. Somewhere above a haze of rapidly revolving lightning bolts circling his head and making him dizzy, Kid Flash saw someone with a pale, blurry face and violet, float-y hair.

"Raven?" He blinked.

"Hi." Somehow, that monosyllabic response did nothing to clear the confusion Kid Flash felt. The lightning bolts weren't helping much either.

"What are you doing here? And why did you flip me?" He asked perplexedly.

Raven shrugged and offered him a hand up. "I flipped you because I don't like being touched and because Robin's trained us to be paranoid. As for why I'm here… ask _her_."

From her position between the still-swinging bathroom door and the accusing finger of her pseudo date, Jinx gulped.

)o(

"What the heck just happened?" Kid Flash asked looking at the surf, the rocks, the tower lit like a beacon across the bay; anywhere but at the girl sitting beside him on the rocks. "First I think that I must've forgotten about a date, except I haven't, because you're actually going out with some punk, who's apparently making a move on you, except he's not, because _he_ is actually a _she_ whom you somehow persuaded to pretend to be your date – how did you do that anyway? I mean, c'mon, this is Raven we're talking about – and who literally flipped out on me before I find out that you set the whole thing up…

"But why?" Kid Flash finally turned to look at Jinx. "Why'd you do it?"

Jinx, who had been feeling guilty up until this point, felt a sudden surge of anger course through her veins. "Why? Why?! Because you lose track of our dates, that's why. Because you'd rather spend all your time with the guys. Because you forget I'm holding your hand and try to catch stupid footballs and let me fall in the mud. Because now that I'm not a villain anymore, you don't have to romance me into being the good guy. Because you're ignoring me."

Kid Flash's face softened. "Jinx, you should've told me."

"Yeah, well, you should have noticed," Jinx sniffled. Kid Flash's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was Jinx… crying? He could think of only one way to respond to that.

Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a shiny copper penny, part of the change from his popcorn; "Need a little luck?" He asked. Hearing the first words he had ever spoken to her, Jinx gave a small gasp and turned to look at him with curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

Kid Flash put the coin between them, face up on the rock. "Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck. What would you say to a date, seeing as we're already dressed up like this? I know a nice place by the museum…"

Jinx picked up the penny and hugged him.

)o(

"And so they lived happily ever after. The end." Raven told the giggling Titan girls who had demanded she tell them exactly what happened the moment she got home.

"Can I go change now?"

**A/N: Well… um, yeah. Tada? **

**This felt weird to write; out of my comfort zone, ya' know? The fluffy boy-girl troubles, that is, not the ****humour**** :) Hopefully the writing itself is of a higher quality as well, due to the amazing English teacher I had this year – and look! Fig Lang/Figurative Language! So, umm, whoever requested**_** this**_** (more or less), I hope you enjoyed it, and also that you'll review in the case that you remember being the one who requested it so I can remember as well…**

***Reference to 'The Robin-ing,' btw.**

**Omake: **"Jinx, you should've told me."

"Yeah, well, you should have noticed," Jinx sniffled. Kid Flash's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was Jinx… crying? He could think of only one way to respond to that.

Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a shiny copper penny, part of the change from his popcorn. "Here take this change! It's shiny!"

Jinx looked at the penny, then she looked up into his hopeful expression, and….

-knocked it into the water. "Seriously? A penny? Not even a quarter? We are so over, I'm going back to SeeMore. Peace!" and then she back-flipped away.

**Review?**


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